Capitol Hill is seen in Washington D.C., the US, on Jan. 24, 2019. Photo: Xinhua

The catastrophic outbreak of COVID-19 racing across the US seems unstoppable with at least 163,000 infection case and more than 3,000 deaths as of Monday evening. Such severe domestic calamity situation has yet to turn some US politicians' attention to implementing better measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. These politicians have failed to put forward helpful proposals to tackle the virus, but have spared no efforts to come up nonsensical resolutions to blame China for their self-inflicted woes. 

Lawmakers in both chambers of the US Congress presented two resolutions on March 24 calling for an international investigation into China's so-called "unconscionable decision" over its handling of the coronavirus. The resolutions also calls on China to "provide compensation for the harm, loss, and destruction their arrogance brought upon the rest of the world." 

Both resolutions were put forward by Republican lawmakers, and so it's easy to see their true intentions. As representatives of the same party as President Donald Trump, they are attempting to distract people's focus on the Trump administration's inability to tackle the virus. With the approaching presidential elections, slandering China is seen as an easy target and allows them shun responsibility and pass the buck. 

US lawmakers can propose any resolution and they don't need to provide empirical evidence as precondition. This allows the US political system to be used to sow discord, and turns the bicameral legislature into a tool for seeking personal gains. 

Where exactly is the source of the coronavirus? Who was the first patient? Although the world's understanding of COVID-19 is deepening, a consensus has yet to be reached on those questions. Any suggestion that China should be held accountable is out of ulterior motives. 

The Republican lawmakers have groundlessly condemned China. Their lies are intended to orchestrate an elaborate cover-up of the Republican party's gross negligence in handling COVID-19. The Trump administration's mismanagement will directly influence Trump's reelection, which is likely to become even bumpier as the situation worsens. 

The fact is, China has been timely sharing information with the US since early January, but Trump and the White House simply downplayed the risks of the virus. Washington not only failed to recognize the importance of the information from China, it continued to smear China's efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Now, some US lawmakers expect China to provide compensation? How absurd!

One of the resolution sponsors, Jim Banks, reportedly accused China of costing the world community two months to formulate their response to the virus. 

But what if the US had taken the warnings from China in early January seriously? What if the Trump administration has adopted appropriate measures rather than repeatedly and stubbornly downplayed the virus? What if the US had cooperated with China to tackle the virus? 

Let's use the Republican lawmakers' demand for compensation as a precedent, and required the US to compensate the world for spreading AIDS, the H1N1 pandemic, and the financial crisis of 2008, all of which have caused harm, loss, and destruction. If China has to pay for something it isn't guilty of, on what basis is the US allowed to escape from the crisis it brought upon the world?

The Republican lawmakers know the situation would be different if they had responded correctly to the facts they had been presented with. This is why they are silent on the US' mismanagement, but seek a scapegoat as they ignore their responsibilities. 

The US doesn't have much time. The US's sole focus now should be on stopping the spreading virus rather than wasting resources and time on buck-passing, particularly at a time when there are domestic disputes over how to tackle the virus. A responsible lawmaker should be helping flatten the curve in the districts they represent. This is the way for a conscientious politician gains support; by benefiting the people. By neglecting their responsibilities, making wild accusations and pursuing personal interests, these politicians are only harming their country. 

The article was compiled by Global Times reporter Xu Hailin based on an interview with Liu Weidong, a research fellow with the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn